Ulawa Island, Makira Province, Eastern Solomon Islands
19th century; collected 1893 or before
Wood, nautilus shell inlay, charcoal pigment, tree resin
Dimensions: please confirm before publishing
Provenance: English private collection; early French-language label present on underside with the date 1893, the name Ulawa, and a partial reference to "Mssr. Bishop"
Ceremonial bowls from Ulawa Island in the Eastern Solomons were decorated with inlaid nautilus shell set against a painted black ground of charcoal pigment and tree resin, a surface treatment that places these objects within the broader Solomon Islands tradition of shell inlay applied to prestige objects. Ulawa, a small island in Makira Province, produced a distinctive body of material culture that has received less scholarly attention than the better-known western Solomons, making documented early pieces of particular value to collectors and researchers. The partial label on the underside — written in French, bearing the date 1893 and the name Ulawa — provides one of the more specific early collection inscriptions to appear on an object of this type.
The bowl is set on a raised foot, the hemispherical body decorated around its upper register with cut nautilus shell inlaid in geometric patterns against the black ground. The shell retains its natural iridescence, the contrast between the pale shell and the dark resin surface remaining clear and legible. The label on the underside, though partially missing, places this piece in a documented collection before 1893, with a reference to "Mssr. Bishop" suggesting a named early collector or dealer.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand
Ulawa Island, Makira Province, Eastern Solomon Islands
19th century; collected 1893 or before
Wood, nautilus shell inlay, charcoal pigment, tree resin
Dimensions: please confirm before publishing
Provenance: English private collection; early French-language label present on underside with the date 1893, the name Ulawa, and a partial reference to "Mssr. Bishop"
Ceremonial bowls from Ulawa Island in the Eastern Solomons were decorated with inlaid nautilus shell set against a painted black ground of charcoal pigment and tree resin, a surface treatment that places these objects within the broader Solomon Islands tradition of shell inlay applied to prestige objects. Ulawa, a small island in Makira Province, produced a distinctive body of material culture that has received less scholarly attention than the better-known western Solomons, making documented early pieces of particular value to collectors and researchers. The partial label on the underside — written in French, bearing the date 1893 and the name Ulawa — provides one of the more specific early collection inscriptions to appear on an object of this type.
The bowl is set on a raised foot, the hemispherical body decorated around its upper register with cut nautilus shell inlaid in geometric patterns against the black ground. The shell retains its natural iridescence, the contrast between the pale shell and the dark resin surface remaining clear and legible. The label on the underside, though partially missing, places this piece in a documented collection before 1893, with a reference to "Mssr. Bishop" suggesting a named early collector or dealer.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand
